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Review: Iris Browser Beta 2 for Windows Mobile - better than Safari for iPhone ! November 10, 2008 [Pocket PC phone] | By Edward J. R. Previously we mentioned, that Iris Browser is not working in HTC Touch Diamond because it is hanging and simply it is unworkable. However we have tried it with another Windows Mobile phone with high-resolution (VGA) display and it works extremely well and in stable way! This browser, which is the only browser for Windows Mobile based on Webkit engine (the same as the one used in Safari and Google Chrome), is already now - in early beta phase - one of the best browsers for Windows Mobile! Here we present detailed review of this browser. Read on! Note: in this review we are using screenshots in scale one to one - of resolution 640x480 pixels that is not even the biggest resolution available in Windows Mobile phones nowadays (it is 800x480) but still it is 2 times bigger than in iPhone (see also a comparative screenshot from iPhone below). * * * * * One interesting thing is that several websites, including Google Mail and Tuaw.com are thinking that you use iPhone when you are browsing them with Iris browser! In other words: these websites are rendering themselves as if you would be using iPhone! Here is an example from Google Mail (these are spam messages, not real ones): 
... and here is screenshot from Tuaw (rendered in typical for iPhone way - as table): 
Furthermore all Webkit abilities, also available in Safari and Google Chrome, are available, including the rounded corners through CSS only (i.e. without usage of images for each corner): 
You can switch on so called "mouse cursor" and with directional keys in your Windows Mobile phone you can then very precisely position the cursor, so that selecting links is extremely easy and comfortable (even more comfortable than in iPhone): 
Another useful feature is ability to check if you have latest version (and download latest if you don't): 
Here is what Iris browser is telling web servers about itself (note words "iPhone" and "webkit"): 
For comparisons sake here is what iPhone 3G is telling web servers about itself (note: it is one to one screenshot from iPhone - 2-2.5 less resolution than in top Windows Mobile phones!): 
Here is a picture that shows you what settings this browser offers: 
A very useful feature is ability to search for some string (here: "HTC") on a web page and ability to jump to next/previous place: 
The history of browsing is presented in a nice 3D view: 
Yet another userful feature is ability to save images from the web page and one can even select comfortably which image to save: 
Note: it is possible to save also whole web pages with this browser! In the overview mode one can see several web pages at once and pick them easily: 
Now let's take a look at something that iPhone offers: automatic zooming in to a column by double tapping on that column. Yes, Iris browser offers it too! First let's take a look at web page with several columns and let's double tap the first and second columns from the left: 
As you can see above indeed Iris browser is zooming in to columns perfectly! Coming back requires selection of "fit to page width" in the zoom menu. Another feature that makes this browser superior to Safari in iPhone is ability to download files (here: MP3 file with a podcast): 
... because Safari for iPhone can open (stream) files but cannot download them for offline viewing/listening. Conclusion: Iris browser for Windows Mobile uses the very same rendering engine as Safari for iPhone - Webkit - so one can now easily say that Windows Mobile offers Internet browsing not worse than iPhone. Furthermore Apple forbids developers to make Internet browsers for iPhone, so it is impossible in iPhone to use other browsers than Safari, but in Windows Mobile there is no such problem and apart from Iris for Windows Mobile, users can use Microsoft Internet Explorer (soon coming in new version with full desktop rendering and Flash), Opera Mobile 9.5, NetFront browser, Firefox Mobile (not available publicly yet, but already some people have it) and some more. While this browser still is in Beta and looks a bit rough on the edges, we think that after some polishing and sprucing up, this may be a perfect mobile browser! To learn more about this browser, or download (for free) Beta 2 version, visit www.torchmobile.com * * * * Screenshots in this review come from a Windows Mobile phone made by Gigabyte Communications.  Post your comment (free registration is required to post, but if you register you can edit your posts later) [ 5 Comments ]
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